Improvement in wire cutting and bending machines



W. E. STEARNS. Wire Cutting and Bending Machine.

Patented March 5, 18 78.

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ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, PHOT0-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON o c UNITED STATES PATENTQFFIGE.

WILLIAM E. STEARNS, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JULIAM. SMITH,

OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIRE CUTTING AND BENDING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,947, dated March 5,1878; application filed October 10, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ELLIsoN STEARNYS, of Rutland, in the countyof Butland and State of Vermont, have invented a new and ImprovedMachine for Measuring, Bending, and Cutting Wire, of which the followingis a specification:

Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Figs.3 and 4 are detail views of portions of the apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for measuring,bending, and cutting wire for the binding of sheet-metal vessels ofvarious descriptions, and to avoid the slow, laborious, and inaccurateprocess heretofore employed.

The invention consists in the combination of rolls for bending the wire,a feeding device for delivering the wire in proper lengths to thebending-rolls, a cutter, and a clutch for reversing the action of themachine, all as hereinafter fully described.

A is the frame of the machine, and B B B are grooved rolls that areemployed in bending the wire. The shaft of the roll B is joun naled inthe frame A. The shaft of the roll B is journaled in levers O, which arefulcrumed at the sides of the frame, and are connected at their outerends by a bar, a, upon which hangs the weight b, and are limited as totheir downward motion by thumb-screws 12*. The roll B is journaled inthe boxes 0, which are supported by screws d, that extend upward throughbrackets 6, attached to the sides of the frame A, and are provided withthumbnuts f, by turning which the roll B may be raised or lowered.

A shaft, D, is journaled in the frame A, and has placed loosely upon oneof its ends a spurwheel, 9, carrying upon its side a rim, g, havingformed in it ratchet-teeth, which are engaged by an arm, h, secured tothe end of the shaft D. Upon the opposite end of this shaft a pinion, i,is loosely placed, to which a ratchet, j, having lateral teeth, issecured. An arm k, is secured to this end of the shaft, which is capableof engaging the ratchet j, as the shaft D is moved longitudinally, bymechanism to be presently described.

The pinion i is moved by a pinion, l, 011 the shaft of the roll Bthrough the intermediate wheel m, which is journaled on a studprojecting from the side of the frame A.

The spur-wheel 9 takes its motion from a similar wheel, n, on the shaftof the roll B.

It will thus be seen that the wheel g and pinion '5 are made to rotatein opposite directions.

Upon the shaft D a collar, 0, is placed, and above the said shaft thereis a sliding rod, p, which carries two lingers, q, for engaging thecollar 0, there being one finger on each side of the collar. A weightedlever, r, is fulcrumed above the sliding rod 12, and is connectedtherewith by a link, 8.

A spur-wheel, E, is placed upon. a shaft, F, journaled in the frame A,and is engaged by a pinion, t, on the shaft D. In the side of the wheelE there is a groove, u, in which is placed an adjustable stud, o, and wis a fixed stud which projects from the side of the wheel.

A vertical rocking shaft, G, is journaled in brackets projecting fromthe side of the frame A, and is provided with an arm, H, that extendsover the face of the wheel E, and is bent down so as to be engaged bythe studs '1) to.

An arm, I, extends from the shaft G to the sliding rod 10, and isapertured to receive the end of the said rod, which is bent upward atright angles.

A segment, a, is secured to the side of the wheel E, and carries a rack,I), that is attached to a head, J, that moves in suitable guides in theframe A, and carries a double standard, 0, the two parts of which areconnected together at the top, forming a support for the wire whilebeing cut.

Between the vertical parts of the standard a cutter, (1, having alongitudinal slot, is placed on two pins, upon which it slides. It isprovided with a spring, which draws it downward and backward, and alever, e, is pivoted in adjustable boxes in the head J, which has formedupon its upper end a cam for forcing the cutter upward. The lower end ofthis lever extends downward, and is connected with a rod, f, one end ofwhich is pivoted to the frame A.

A dog, g, is pivoted in the standard 0, for engaging and carryingforward the wire. This dog is provided with a spring for throwing it upinto contact with the wire.

K is a frame that moves in suitable guides in the frame A, and carries adouble standard, h, which is similar to the standard 0. Between theparts of the standard h a serrated eccentric dog, 2', is pivoted, and isthrown forward against the wire by a spring, j.

A rack, k, is attached to the frame K, and takes its motion from a rack,l, on the head J, through a pinion, m, that turns on a stud projectingfrom the side of the frame A.

Wire to be formed and cut is placed over the dog i and against thecutter d. The shaft of the roll B being turned in the proper directionto draw the wire between it and the roll B, with which it is geared,motion is imparted to the shaft D, which turns the spurwheel E, so thatthe rack b is carried forward, taking with it the wire. This movementalso carries the frame K backward. When the stud w strikes the arm H therod 11 is moved by the arm I until the weight of the lever 1' passesover the fulcrum of the lever, and by its own gravity moves the rod 10still farther, so that the shaft D is moved longitudinally a sufficientdistance to throw the arm h out of the ratchet-rim g and throw the armit into the ratchet j. The motion of the spur-wheel E is thus reversed,when the rack b moves back and the frame K moves forward, carrying thewire through the standard 0 to the rolls B B. When the stud 'v strikesthe arm H the motion of the spur-wheel is again reversed, and the rack band head J, carrying the double standard d, move forward, and when theynear the end of their forward stroke the lever e forces the cutter dupward, severin g the wire. While this operation progresses the frame Kmoves backward, as before, and the wire is curved by passing in contactwith the roll B The curvature of the wire may be varied by moving theroll B up or down, and the length may be regulated by moving the stud 'vin the slot u.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patcut- 1. The combination of the frame K, carrying thewire-clamping dog i,the head J, carrying a wire-cutting device, andmechanism for imparting to frame K and head J reciprocating motion,substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the lever e, provided with the rod f, with thecutter d, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The pinion i and wheel 9, provided with ratchets, as described, theshaft D, having arms h k and collar 0, the rod 1), having fingers q, andthe weighted lever r, in combination, substantially as herein specified.

4. The combination of the grooved spurwheel E, having studs 1; w, shaftG, having arms H I, and the shifting-rod 12, substantially as and forthe purpose herein shown and described.

WILLIAM ELLISON STEARNS.

Witnesses:

MARY D. STEARNS, KIRBY W. SMITH.

